It is common practice to permanently or detachably attach assorted objects to structurally diverse substrates. Exemplary is the hanging of pictures on the interior walls of a building, the stringing of festive holiday lights on the eaves of a house and the retention of keys or key chains on a mounted board.
To accommodate the varied substrates, the prior art has provided numerous hanger brackets, each specifically configured for securement to a substrate fabricated of a particular material. For example, screw hooks or other hanger brackets incorporating a nail or a wood screw are required for securement to a substrate fabricated of wood or similar material. Relatively thin sheet material requires a hanger bracket incorporating a sheet metal screw. Substrates fabricated of a frangible material, such as sheet rock or wallboard require a bracket including a molly or toggle bolt that will distribute the holding force over a substantial area. Securing to a concrete substrate generally entails the insertion of a lead or plastic anchor, which in turn will accept a lag screw.
With reference to the foregoing, the hanger bracket is commonly affixed from the face side of the substrate. The rear side of a substrate is generally not accessible. Therefore, use of a two-part attachment, such as a bolt and nut, is not possible.
The profusion of prior art hanger brackets, each devised for use with a specific substrate, is further complicated by necessity of a drilling or otherwise forming a hole of precise dimension to accommodate the attachment member relative the chosen bracket. In an attempt to resolve this complexity, the prior art has provided a hanger bracket which is adhesively affixed to the substrate. Adhesively affixed hanger brackets, however, are restricted to a reduced load bearing capacity. Further, such hanger brackets are not universally usable with all substrates.
Given the specificity of prior art hanger brackets and the associated diversity of substrates, it would be highly desirable to provide an omnibus hanger bracket that is readily securable to substrates of various and diverse construction. It is intended that such a bracket be relatively inexpensive to fabricate and easily secured to a selected substrate.